By Andee Zeigler, March 19, 2019
Second place is never the goal, especially when submitting an offer on a home that your client loves. When I write an offer and my clients don’t “win” it I always inquire about being in back-up position. So what does that mean?
When a seller selects an offer and the property is pending that doesn’t mean it is going to close. There are a variety of situations in which a buyer will terminate and often times it has nothing to do with the condition of the property. If you are a buyer in back-up position and the first position buyer terminates you are then moved into first position. This means that the property doesn’t go back on market, it is first offered to you. It also means that your timeline for opening escrow, inspections etc. start on the date that you mutually agree to move into first position.
At least once a year I have a buyer move from back-up to first position and they have always closed. If I have a buyer in back-up I ask the listing agent to keep me notified of the buyers inspection timeline and I check in mid inspection period. This particular property had a buyer terminate on the final day of inspections with no explanation, they simply sent a termination agreement. We entered the inspection period cautiously optimistic. I’ll be honest, this was one of the ugliest inspections I have seen, an overwhelming number of costly concerns. We took time to gather bids, second opinions, third opinions and had long talks about the reality of moving forward. It would have been easy to walk, but why not shoot for the moon?! We wrote a very thorough repair addendum with some seriously big asks. The seller was gracious and incredibly responsive, she knew where she stood and she wanted this house to sell and 
she wanted to do it right. My buyer received significant credits and repairs and we closed just a week over our originally agreed close date!
Two lessons here, always ask to be in back-up and take the time to gather a thorough presentation for big asks during the inspection period, you just never know!
Andee Zeigler
Principal Broker | OR
She/Her
I have called Portland home for over 20 years and can’t imagine raising my babies
anywhere else. I have been a REALTOR® for over a decade and still wake up every day
delighted that I truly love what I do. I love helping people find their home sweet home,
score an investment property that pencils out better than expected, holding the hand of
a first-time homebuyer, or guiding a nervous seller through the process of leaving a home
they’ve loved. I know Portland like the back of my hand and have a wealth of knowledge
about our unique homes and rapidly growing inventory of new construction.
I have loved up many homes over the years, from a total restoration of an 1894 Victorian
farmhouse to a full remodel of 1942 ranch and several in between. I enjoy educating my
clients on the home buying and selling process as well as educating them on how to care
for their home. I strive to help buyers understand their homes' unique qualities, how to
love them up, and the realities of vintage homeownership.
Each real estate transaction is different and for many people the entire process is new
and can feel overwhelming. I work hard to help clients manage expectations and give
them perspective along the way. I also truly love negotiating and believe it can be done
with grace and cooperation. Over the years many of my clients have become my friends
and I am grateful for the joy this career has brought me.
When I am not scouring the new listings, meeting clients for pie or reading up on all
things real estate, I am busy filling my days with goodness. I currently live in my dream
home in St. Johns with my husband, 3 kids, 2 cats, 2 ducks and goose! I am an avid
gardener, growing over 30 varieties of fruits and vegetables and countless plants and
flowers, including nearly 1000 tulips and over 100 dahlia varieties. During the spring
and summer we have a little free table with bouquets and plant starts for our
community. When the garden doesn’t need me you can find me in the kitchen. I try to
bake once a day, everything from sourdough to french macarons. I graduated with an
art degree and find great joy in painting and making pottery, there is almost always an
art project happening at the dining room table. I am a dedicated traveler and have made
exploring the world with my babies a priority. When we aren’t traveling internationally
we explore our corner of the world in our Vanagon, Dr. Coffey!
I am in constant awe of the beauty of the PNW and feel grateful that this is my home
sweet home. I absolutely believe that everyone should love where they live and won’t let
anyone settle!
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- T: 503-901-6864
- andee@livingroomre.com
